What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantNiacinamide
Smoothing
Xylitol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingVigna Radiata Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningTromethamine
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Malt Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Viola Tricolor Extract
Skin ProtectingMenthoxypropanediol
Masking
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Punica Granatum Flower Extract
Skin Conditioning
Dextrin
AbsorbentHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPhaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningAnanas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMalus Domestica Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Prunus Persica Fruit Extract
Abrasive
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin Protecting
Glycogen
HumectantAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Xylitol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Vigna Radiata Seed Extract, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract, Hydrolyzed Malt Extract, Hydrolyzed Viola Tricolor Extract, Menthoxypropanediol, Adenosine, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Pentylene Glycol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Punica Granatum Flower Extract, Dextrin, Hyaluronic Acid, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Malus Domestica Fruit Extract, Prunus Persica Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Glycogen, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantPropanediol
Solvent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea
Skin ConditioningPhytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycine
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Sodium DNA
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Methyl Gluceth-20, Hydroxyacetophenone, Arginine, Carbomer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Allantoin, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Beta-Glucan, Ectoin, Linoleic Acid, Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea, Phytosterols, Squalane, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Sodium DNA
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolDipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene GlycolGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
